In Niger, livestock farming is a promising sector for the economy of rural households. The livestock value chain has a positive impact on household nutrition. This study aims to characterize the consumption of animal-based foods by agro-pastoral households. Data are collected through a questionnaire survey of 200 randomly sampled heads of households. Data are analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 software. The results show that animal-based foods are consumed by the majority (64.54%) of households surveyed, with dominance in the Maradi region (51.73%) compared to Tillabéri (12.91%) region. These diversified foods are regularly consumed by households. The most consumed foods are meat (83%), fish (81%), and goat’s milk (38%). Households turn to animal-based foods for nutrition’s reasons, eating habits and taste. Children aged 6 to 24 months consume more eggs (43%), fish (42%), red meat (27%), and cow’s milk (19%). Lack of financial means, low production and ignorance of the virtues of animal products are the main constraints on household consumption of animal-based foods. These results suggest that promoting the consumption of animal-based foods could improve household nutrition and well-being, especially in rural areas.

A zootechnical follow-up was conducted in Gounaka (Tassaoua department, Maradi region) in Niger on 48 goats aged less than one year to 4 years including 36 Redheads (75%) and 12 Blacks (25%), all followed by 76 kids including 37 females and 39 males of Red dress (58 individuals) and Black (18 individuals) belonging to 45 breeders. Analyzes have shown that frequency of single litter in Red goats (45.71%) was lower than that of Black (50%). On other hand, double litters were more frequent in Red goat (54.28%) than Black (50%). Differences in 2 cases of litters were not statistically significant (p> 0.05). There was a statistical difference (p <0.05) between milk production average of two types of goats. Red goat had regularly higher than Black at all rows of lactation. Average of durations of intervals between 1st-2nd, 2nd-3rd, 3rd-4th, 4th-5th and 5th-6th parturitions in Red and Black goats in all dresses were respectively 8.36 ± 1.56; 8.67 ± 1.49; 8.66 ± 1.34; 10.00 ± 0.82 and 9.50 ± 0.71 months without statistical difference. At birth, Black kids weighed more than their Red counterparts with 1.67 ± 0.20 and 1.61 ± 3.55 kg respectively, but difference was not significant. As for mean of decadal scrotal circumference (perimeter), it increased from first (D1) to tenth (D10) decade respectively from 5.13 ± 0.89 to 10.71 ± 1.61 cm for Red kids and 4.70 ± 0.80 to 9.51 ± 2.14 cm for black kids significantly (p <0.05).